History

Mary Queen of Scots House, Jedburgh

Mary Queen of Scots House, Jedburgh

Mary's possessions in the collection at the museum.

Through this heavy iron-studded door you can see the topmost part of the stone staircase which spirals up from the basement to the room in which Mary stayed while recovering from a fever brought on by her arduous ride to Hermitage Castle.

A forty mile ride on horseback on today's roads would be hard enough, but in those days the way to Hermitage was over wild trackless moorland with impenetrable thickets and dangerous bogs.

It is said that she lost her pocket watch at a bog known as Queen's Mire.

Two hundred and fifty years later a shepherd found a curious object (right) unearthed by a mole at Queen's mire... an oval case containing a pocket watch. It was later identified as a timepiece made in France in the 16th century...

Amongst other possesions known to have belonged to Mary is this shoe which she is said to have discarded because of its broken heel.There are still more objects known or said to belong to Mary in the house, including her Crucifix, Sacred Heart and Communion Set and a shoe.

Other places associated with Mary which are an easy drive of Jedburgh in Southern Scotland, and which you might like to visit are: